The local jobless rate climbed a full percentage point to 5.1% in December but the increase is partly due to seasonal jobs ending, says a spokesperson for the Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie.

The job losses were in agriculture, construction, transportation and manufacturing -- sectors that often see a seasonal decline in December, Jill Halyk, the planning board's executive director, said.

"Although the unemployment rate increased in the past month, a comparison to December 2012 shows it fell by more than 3%," Halyk said. "This is good news for the community."

The national unemployment rate rose to 7.2% while Ontario's jobless rate climbed to 7.9% from 7.2% in November, figures provided by Statistics Canada say. The figures also show that of the 46,000 jobs that were lost across the country, 39,000 were lost in Ontario.

While the local jobless rate went up a percentage point, there was yet another drop in the number of people in the work force and that's a trend that continues to be a concern, Halyk said.

"The labour force continues to shrink faster than unemployment is growing," she said. "It is raising questions as to why people have stopped looking for work."

Meanwhile, there were 208 BrantJobs job postings in December, down from 285 in November but up slightly from a year ago.

BrantJobs is a service of the Brantford and Brant County providing a range of employment solutions to local employers and job seekers. The Workforce Planning Board is one of 25 non-profit organizations in Ontario that play a leadership role in labour force planning.